İzmir Atatürk Stadium explained

İzmir Atatürk Stadyumu
Fullname:İzmir Atatürk Stadyumu
Location:İzmir
Coordinates:38.435°N 27.1781°W
Broke Ground:10 September 1968
Built:1968–1971
Opened:1971
Renovated:2005
Owner:Ministry of Youth and Sports
Surface:Grass[1]
Architect:Harbi Hotan
Main Contractors:Kemal Uzan
Tenants:Altay S.K., Karşıyaka S.K.
Capacity:70,000
63,000
58,008
54,960
51,295 (2005–present)
Record Attendance: (Turkey-Malta, 31 October 1976)
Dimensions:105 x 68 m
Scoreboard:Yes
Publictransit: Halkapınar

İzmir Atatürk Stadium (Turkish: İzmir Atatürk Stadyumu) is a multi-purpose stadium in İzmir, Turkey. It was named after the Turkish statesman Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. It is currently used mostly for football matches and occasionally for track and field events. The stadium holds 51,295 people. It was opened in 1971, and most recently refurbished in 2005. İzmir football teams Altay S.K. and Karşıyaka S.K. occasionally use the stadium for high attendance matches. İzmir Atatürk Stadium's running track has ten lanes.[2]

The stadium hosted the 1971 Mediterranean Games, the Islamic Games in 1980 and the 2005 Summer Universiade. The stadium also hosted the Fortis Turkey Cup Final in 2009 in which Beşiktaş beat Fenerbahçe 4-2 to win the cup for the 8th time.

Singer Michael Jackson planned to perform at the stadium on October 7, 1992 on his Dangerous World Tour, but this show was cancelled due to illness.

Records

Attendance Records! Rank!! Attendance !! Date !! Game
168,034 31 October 1976
267,696 16 May 1981 Karşıyaka SKGöztepe S.K.
366,701 21 January 1973
462,825[3] 12 October 1971
562,200 30 January 1989 Altay SKFenerbahçe SK
661,81024 August 1994 Galatasaray SKFC Avenir Beggen
759,40615 November 1987 Altay SKGalatasaray SK
A. The official attendance was reported as 67,696, but the actual figure is believed to be anywhere between 80,000 and 85,000.

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.tff.org/Default.aspx?pageID=394&stadID=118 "İzmir Atatürk Stadium."
  2. http://www.egedesonsoz.com/haber/Izmir-Ataturk-Stadi-na-buyuk-makyaj/922427 İzmir Atatürk Stadı'na büyük makyaj!
  3. Cumhuriyet Newspaper, 14.10.1971, p. 8